Stephanie in the Morning 9/28/26: Lauren DeGregorio, O'playsis (Buzzards Bay) + Candyland Kindness Festival

Cape Cod's only daily show, live from Mashpee on September 28, 2026.

TODAY: Lauren DeGregorio, O'playsis and the Bourne Youth Council in Buzzards Bay. THIS WEEK ON CAPE COD: SandwichFest, Oct 3, Sandwich / Candyland Kindness Festival, Oct 4, Buzzards Bay / Love Local Fest, Oct 4, Hyannis

Lauren DeGregorio runs O'playsis, a collaborative arts studio and music lounge in Buzzards Bay, and helps lead the Bourne Youth Council. She and Stephanie cover a rainy weekend of volunteering, this Sunday's Candyland Kindness Festival, and a very full October 17 in Buzzards Bay.

IN THIS EPISODE

• About 20 volunteers unload a pumpkin truck in the rain for the Bourne Methodist Church pumpkin patch, which benefits the Bourne food pantry
• Carve a pumpkin, then drop it at Buzzards Bay Park on Oct 17 to light the Witches Walk
• A rainy Saturday, a closet cleanout and 250 pairs of socks matched
• Young Y Achievers and getting programs into local schools
• Cape Kid Meals and its Keeping the Promise Gala
• Why asking for money is so hard for nonprofit people
• Question of the day: what slang word gives away your age?
• Google's most searched teen slang of 2026, including "quiet on the creek"
• Dungeons and Dragons for adults and Magic the Gathering this October at O'playsis
• Kind Hearts for Kids moves in with O'playsis, which turns three in November
• Rescued plants, marigolds at concerts, and a winter of frozen tomato sauce
• Who has storage space on the Upper Cape?
• Two giant pandas land in Atlanta on loan from China
• Crocs sues Five Below over $7 clogs, and why artists should protect their work

THE WITCHES WALK, OCT 17

The Gray Gables witches outgrew their neighborhood and asked the Bourne Youth Council to take over. The day starts with Main Street trick-or-treating, the annual Thriller flash mob and family fun at Buzzards Bay Park. At 4, witches and wizards (21 plus, men welcome this year) check in for a witches dance, a scavenger hunt with brew stops at Main Street businesses, and an after party at O'playsis with Soul Purpose. The studio's Hocus Pocus walkthrough opens the same day.

PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED

Lauren DeGregorio of O'playsis, Bourne Youth Council, Nicole Mitchell of Kind Hearts for Kids (kindheartsforkids.org), Bourne Methodist Church, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Mass Cultural Council, Young Y Achievers, Cape Kid Meals (capekidmeals.org), Soul Purpose, Kono Pizza, Events on Cape Cod (eventsoncape.com).

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

• Sat Oct 3: SandwichFest, Sandwich Village
• Sun Oct 4: Candyland Kindness Festival, sixth annual, Buzzards Bay, with Lemonadio DJing
• Sun Oct 4: Love Local Fest, Aselton Park, Hyannis
• Oct 9 to 31, Fri and Sat: Haunted Hallows and night markets, Mashpee
• Sat Oct 17: Main Street trick-or-treating, pumpkin drop-off and the Witches Walk, Buzzards Bay

HELP WANTED

The Kindness Festival still needs craft table volunteers, vendors and nonprofit tables. Email [email protected].

QUOTABLE

"I opened it up because I found healing through art and I wanted to give that to others." (Lauren)

"Everything in my life is tiny and everything that I dream up is big." (Stephanie)

"Please don't call me. I don't like answering my phone." (Lauren)

Catch every episode on YouTube, and now on Spotify too.

Stephanie in the Morning. Every morning we ask and you answer, where locals take the mic. Powered by Lemonadio.